Personally I feel if you cannot kill it cleanly with a 30-06 with an accurate good load using a proper bullet for that use, you shouldn't be shooting at it in the 1st place! If for elk only, the .33 to .35 cartridges are hard to beat, with my favorite 35 Whelen I built years ago doing a great job, but for all round the 30-06 is the clear winner. There's no critter on the north american continent I'd feel undergunned on with a 30-06 with accurate load worked up using the Nosler 180 gr Accubond. I recently semi-retired most of my big game rifles to make my Browning A-Bolt in 30-06 my 1 go to rifle for everything. A 150 gr Ballistic Tip for deer and under and the 180 gr Accubond for everything bigger.